


The Traveler's Detour

by RintinDestiny



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: An AU I guess?, Campaign 2 (Critical Role), F/M, I'm obsessed with these characters, No Smut, Probably (some) fluff, Some OC/Character romance perhaps?, Suggestions welcome but not always heeded, The Traveler is a helpful little shit, What Am I Doing? WHO KNOWS!, dimension hopping, let me know what you think, mature rating for language and violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-07-29 20:51:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16272110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RintinDestiny/pseuds/RintinDestiny
Summary: The Traveler; the mysterious god that has only revealed itself to a handful of creatures throughout the land has a strange, albeit effective way of teaching. To those that ask so eagerly quickly find out why this celestial being is called the Traveler.Quinn Gable’s life needed some adventure to break the monotony of living in LA. Though she wasn’t prepared to handle a group of six strangers claiming to be a wizard, a monk, half-orc, two Tieflings, and a Goblin. And why do they keep claiming there are nine of them?





	1. The Party Fights Some Trolls while the Traveler Decides to Be One

**Author's Note:**

> "Ad-ven-ture"  
> -(n): a series of bad decisions

Caleb ducked as a fiery arrow barely missed his head and struck the wall directly behind him. He curses to himself before mumbling the well-known archaic words and let loose a flurry of icy shards into the fray of shrieking trolls that he and his party were currently fending off.

To his right Nott is firing a crossbow bolt, striking the archer troll in the shoulder before ducking down behind a wall of boxes.

“You really wanted that gold, didn’t you?!” Caleb states as he hunkers down beside the female goblin.

“I’m sorry…they were just out in the open and I couldn’t help myself!” she winced as another crude arrow struck above them.

 Ahead there was a loud cry as Jester swung her spiritual weapon across one of the two trolls before her. There was a satisfying smack as the purple lollipop hit it, sending the beast flying backward. In total there were six trolls left including the one Jester just hit; one firing arrows from the end of the dungeon, three circled around Beau and Fjord, and two going after Mollymauk and Jester.

“I don’t blame you Nott, but we were going to get paid for bringing back one troll. Now we have to deal with all of them!” Caleb’s hands blackened as flames burst to life around his fingers.

Ahead, the purple Tiefling roared something in Infernal at the two trolls that he was currently dealing with. Their eyes darkened, and dark green blood began to leak from the corners of their eyes just as Molly’s blades rent one in half. Unfortunately, just as the halved troll began to stumble back its wound closed up once more.

Molly swore and leaped out of the way as the troll righted it’s body and swung a clawed hand towards him. He ducked and slashed down once more, cutting off the troll’s hand at the wrist.

“Since when did trolls even gather like this? I thought they were territorial!” he growled as the troll slowly began to regenerate, the hand still twitching on the ground as if it had a mind of its own.

Beau and Fjord were back to back fending off the majority of the rest of the trolls. Beau was on top of her game this fight as she punched and kicked the trolls like rag dolls.

“No idea! All I know is that we better be getting paid extra for this shit!” she roundhoused a troll in the face, snapping its neck that quickly righted itself.

Fjord, on the other hand, wasn’t looking the best as he fought back the other two trolls. He had two broken off arrows protruding from his chest armor, fresh claw marks marring his right shoulder, and a severe scratch still bleeding across his cheek. He growled as one of the beasts threw itself forward at him and he slashed down with his falchion. The creature ducked however and tackled the half-orc to the ground.

“Fjord!” Beau yelled turning to try and help him up.

A meaty, gray hand grabbed her by the shoulder though and the troll flung her against the dungeon wall, her skull cracking against the stone as her staff flew from her hand.

Caleb immediately let loose a barrage of flame from his hands, engulfing the troll that just threw Beau. It roared in anguish as it burned, falling to the ground as it began to turn to ash.

Beau laid still for a heartbeat before she coughed and picked herself up off the floor, blood dripping from the back of her head as she grabbed her staff and rushed to Fjord. He was grappling with the troll on the ground, sword pinned in-between him and his adversary. The monk hit the troll squarely across the head and landed a bold kick against the creature as its jagged teeth clacked centimeters from Fjord’s face.

“Get off me!” the half-orc roared and with a burst of strength threw the troll to the side and rolled out of the way just as Jester’s lollipop crushed the troll’s head into the floor.

Beau helped Fjord up off the ground as Jester reengaged the troll whose neck had been snapped.

“We need to regroup,” Fjord hissed out from behind his clenched teeth, holding onto his side as Beau helped him up, “these damn trolls won’t die unless they’re incinerated.”

            The monk and half-orc made their way back towards Caleb and Nott as Jester and Molly held back the remaining four trolls. The one Jester hit had started to pull his slowly regenerating brains off the ground.

“What’s our plan?” Caleb called as he let loose another barrage of fire, the flames not quite hitting their marks.

Fjord spat out a glob of blood and was about to answer when, to the group’s right there was a huge, bellowing roar that definitely was not a troll.

All the trolls themselves paused in their attack, as one last stray arrow pinged off of the wall and fell with a clatter. The beasts shrunk back as a huge shadow obscured the varied torchlight and forced the party to back down the only other open hallway to their left.

From around the corner, appeared the ugly, potato-ish face of an ogre; dressed in ragged bits of animal hide and ripped sackcloth. Behind it, the brute lugged a stone mace, cracked and covered in moss.

“He-he’s on o-our side, right?” Nott whimpered as she notched one of three remaining bolts into her crossbow.

“No…no I don’t believe he is,” Caleb replied as he pulled out his diamond in a ready position.

Fjord’s face dropped as the ogre locked onto all of them, letting loose another bellow that shook dust and stone from the ceiling. He sheathed his falchion and straighten up from Beau’s shoulder.

“WE NEED TO GO!” he shouted, drawing everyone’s attention.

Without any resistance, Molly and Jester regrouped away from the now grumbling trolls, as they retreat submissively to the dead end of the hallway. The ogre sniffed like a very ugly bulldog and hefted its weapon as the group backed down the hallway.

“Do we know if it’s safe to go down this way?” Jester asked as she gripped her hand ax tightly.

“Doubt its worse than this bastard,” Molly mumbled back, drawing his second sword across his arm, causing it to ignite with his blood.

Jester backed further down the hall so that she was even with the limping Fjord.

“Fjord, you’re really hurt!”

The half-orc shrugged her off, “I know but we need to run right now. Can you somehow navigate the rest of this tunnel?”

The blue Tiefling pouted but looked back down the hallway, “Of course!”

“Then go, make sure we can escape while the rest of us hold this thing off.” Fjord nodded towards the Ogre and flashed an unconvincing smile.

“We got this, now go!”

Jester shouldered her hand ax, turned and bolted down the hall, searching for any indication of how they can get out of the dungeon. The hallway stretched onwards for several hundred feet until it came to a halt in a deep, watery, pit. The Tiefling halted, boots just at the edge of what seems to be a well or trap.

She looked around hurriedly but saw no other doorways near the pit and she felt one form in her stomach as well. They had no way to get out and now had to deal with five trolls and an ogre. If perhaps Fjord was in a better position and she and Caleb weren’t running so low on spells they’d be able to take it out no problem but…that was not the case.

“Traveler please, if you can hear me I really need you…we all do!”  Jester clasped her hands in prayer as she stared back down into the watery pit, “If you could take us far away from here so we could recover and find what we need, we’d be forever grateful.”

She paused, waiting for anything; a whisper or gust of wind to pull her cloak but no such thing indicated that her deity had heard her. Jester growled in frustration before turning back to her friends.

She runs the corner to see that Beau, Caleb, and Molly have begun taking turns battling against the Ogre that had begun to demolish the dungeon. Stone, dust, and wood fly from its massive club as it just barely misses Beau.

The Tiefling is just about to cry out to her friends when a sudden _psssst_ catches her attention. She turns and about a quarter of the way down the hall a cloaked figure stands in front of a shimmering doorway that hadn’t been there before.

“Travel-” Jester’s exclamation is cut off by another roar from the Ogre and as Jester watched, the cloaked figure disappeared through the doorway.

She turned back to her friends and waved her hands.

“This way! The Traveler showed me a way out!”

The whole group, including the Ogre, looked over to Jester and she realized her mistake as the monster locked onto her and hefted its club.

“Shit!” she shouted, grabbing her ax and widening her stance.

Her friends pick themselves up and book it past her, abandoning the Ogre.

“Time to go!” Beau muttered as she grabbed Jester’s hood, pulling her just out of range of the Ogres swipe and down the hall.

“I can take him, let me go!” the feisty Tiefling growled but immediately regretted it as the Ogre plowed forward, crumbling one of the pillars holding up the ceiling as it tried to fit down the slightly smaller hallway.

The group came to a halt in front of the shimmering doorway with Molly staring into the dark tunnel. The edges of the arch seemed to surge and ripple as if it were a tapestry or curtain fluttering in a wind.

“You sure that this is safe?” the purple Tiefling questioned, prodding the tip of his sword through the entrance with no effect.

Jester nodded quickly, “Yes, the Traveler opened it so that we could escape!”

Behind them the hallway shook as the Ogre began to chip away at the ceiling, getting closer and closer to them.

“You sure there are no other ways out?” Fjord asked, grimacing as he held his side once more.

Jester shook her horns, clutching her ax tightly.

The group all share a look, asking the same question: were they better off with the Ogre or strange doorway?

Just then, the Ogre slammed his club into the stone ceiling and great, thunderous cracks suddenly surged through the stone above their heads. There is a heartbeat of silence before a thunderous rumble shakes the ground. The scene erupts into chaos as Molly, Jester, Nott, and Beau push for the door. As they crowd the archway chunks the size of horses began to fall from the ceiling, one particularly huge hunk of stone heading straight for Fjord.

The half-orc braced for the impact when a familiar ragged coat pushed him towards the doorway. The stone impacted into the ground as the rest of the dungeon begins to crumble, the doorway disappearing with a faint pop.

* * *

 

Fjord felt himself falling but after the first few moments, he realized that he wasn’t going to the hit the floor. He blinked open his eyes, half expecting to be submerged in the sea once more. Instead, he was simply surrounded by cold darkness that gave no sense of depth or space, the only firm grasp of position was the solid footing underneath him.

“Jester!?” he called out into the void and his own voice echoed back.

He turned and saw a small pinprick of light in the distance that swiftly began to get larger and closer.

“Molly? Caleb!?” he tried to back away, but light, sound, and pain all swept up to him in mere seconds.

There was a loud screeching noise and something big hit Fjord’s legs out from underneath him. The world spun, flipped, and flashed before him as he hit the ground hard, the acrid smell of tar in his nose.

“Fjord!” the half-orc recognized Jester’s voice and he blinked rapidly as he heard the Tiefling’s words of healing.

A cooling sensation spread through his torso, taking away some of the pain and clearing his vision but not completely healing his wounds.

“What the fuck!?”

This voice was unfamiliar and as Fjord stood with some help from Jester he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

A large metal shape with glowing white eyes was stopped in the middle of what looked like a black, paved roadway. A human in strange clothing exited the metal shape, which was growling and billowing steam; the front plate of it dented from where it apparently impacted Fjord.

Fjord’s eyes wandered from the strange machine to his surroundings and he felt his chest tighten slightly at the alien backdrop which he found himself.

It was night time and dozens of people stood on the stone walkways edging the road, all dressed in what looked like short shirts and trousers, their bare legs and arms unblocked by armor of any kind. Around them what looked like strange storefronts with glass paneled windows were aglow with bright, almost blinding, tubes and balls of light. Many of the lights blinked in unfamiliar shapes and colors that made Fjord’s keen vision swim. All the figures that had started to gather around the scene seemed to be human and they stared flabbergasted as Fjord, Jester, and Molly.

“Caleb!” the screech of Nott drew the half-orc’s attention.

About twenty feet down the road about half of the hunk of stone that was about to crash on Fjord earlier was sliced cleanly in two, polished and shiny as if a hot blade sectioned it. Beside it, Caleb laid on the ground, one arm positioned crookedly while blood ran down his face from a giant gash across his forehead.

Fjord went to rush up to him but stopped as his side twinged painfully, hinting at broken ribs and perhaps some internal bleeding. The rest of the group backed up around Caleb and Nott protectively, weapons drawn.

The people at the side of the road started murmuring and bringing out small rectangular devices with more bright lights.

“Is this some sort of stunt?”

"That’s gotta be makeup…”

“It looks so real though!”

“I don’t see any cameras.”

“Hey, dipshits!”

The last voice yelled over the rest and the human who got out of the metal beast started approaching.

He seemed to be in his late thirties with think blonde hair and tan skin. The man’s shirt was tight and had a low-cut v neckline that seemed far too deep. He also had a large jewel pierced in his left ear while dark glasses crowned his head.

Fjord didn’t like him.

“Where the fuck did you come from?! You wrecked my car!” the man shouted, stopping about ten feet from the group.

Molly growled low, baring his fangs and the man’s confidence dwindled slightly.

“Caleb, please get up!” Nott had begun to cry as she pulled helplessly at the wizard’s shirt, trying to get him to wake up.

Jester glanced briefly at all the humans before she knelt next to Caleb, one hand on his forehead while the other is placed on his chest. She concentrated for a moment, a faint glow coming from her hands. As the glow faded she almost fell back and Caleb took a deep, ragged breath.

“Nott…” the goblin’s name is barely muttered as Caleb’s eyes flutter open briefly before they close once more.

“We have to get him somewhere safe. I was only able to heal him a little bit, he won’t make it too much longer.” Jester hissed to Fjord, who is still staring at the glaring world around them.

Suddenly, with a piercing _WHOOOP_ blue and red lights enter the scene as two more metal beast surge down the road, this time black and white. More humans, this time dressed in navy uniforms got out of the noisy, flashy contraptions and began circling the party of misfits.

“What is going on?” a large man with a mustache demanded, staring at Molly with wide eyes.

“These freaks jumped out in front of my car!” the blonde man exclaimed, folding his arms.

The uniformed man looked at the car and back to Fjord who still had the two arrow shafts stuck in his chest.

“Alright son, it seems that you may not be in the right place.” The man held up his hands to show he meant no harm.

“How about we get you and your friends to the hospital and then down to the station so that you can tell us what’s going on.”

Fjord looked at the approaching man and then to the other uniformed humans that had begun to circle around them, a few holding out small black devices.

“On my mark, grab Caleb and run. Get him somewhere safe.” He whispered just loud enough so the Tiefling could hear him.

She tensed, ready as Fjord hissed over to Molly, “Get them all out of sight.”

With a loud bellow, Fjord unsheathed his falchion and launched Eldritch Blast straight at the man in front of him. The wave of magic hit the man in the gut and sent him sprawling across the ground, hurt but not severely.

Immediately, Molly scooped up Nott while Jester grabbed Caleb and bolted with Beau across the road and down an alleyway.

The uniformed men immediately began yelling instructions that Fjord didn’t hear as he leaped a bushy barrier between the two roadways. He ignored the burning in his chest and the way the air burned his lungs as he went the opposite direction of his friends.

Two loud bangs left a ringing in the half-orc’s sensitive ears and there were screams from the civilians watching. Something ripped into Fjord’s shoulder and he felt blood soak his armor. He kept going though as he thought of leading the men away from his friends.

Fjord’s large build helped him leap a wire fence, duck behind a huge building laced with metal stairs and ladders before sliding between two metal contraptions that were unmoving in a large paved space. He gasped for breath as he ducked down, praying to whatever god was looking at him to give him strength.

For several moments all the half-orc could hear was his own pounding blood and panting before in the distance he could hear the sirens of the strange metal machines. He took a breath and held it, waiting for more humans to come around the corner…but none did.

He gave it another few moments as the sirens faded into the distance and the dull thrum of the city replaced it.

Fjord felt his wounds throb and his head became very fuzzy. He stood, trying to plan a way to meet back with his friends when a rectangle of light suddenly illuminated him. A door had opened in the back of the building and standing there was a younger, human female whose eyes widened as she saw the half-orc.

He tried to back away but just as he raised his hands the woman let out a loud scream.


	2. Fjord Rolls a 1 in Constitution while Molly rolls a 20 in Intimidation

            Jester ran until her lungs burned and her shoulders ached from carrying Caleb’s bloodied body. Beside her, Molly kept pace with a whimpering Nott in his grasp while Beau took up the rear. They bolt around random turns in-between buildings and over huge metal containers of trash. They dashed through areas full of the same metal contraptions that fill the main roadways until finally, Jester found a small gated area filled with tropical looking plants and bushes.

            She slowly placed Caleb on the ground before leaning again a frilly tree to catch her breath. 

            “What…the hell…was THAT!?” Beau breathed, wiping sweat from her forehead as she squatted on the ground, shoulders heaving.

            “The better question is where? Like where the hell are we? I’ve never seen anything like this in the Empire and I’ve been in quite a few places.” Molly asked, placing Nott on the ground before straightening up.

            He looked to Jester and crossed his arms, “Where is it that your Traveler took us?”

            Jester glanced around at the plants that were now their shelter before looking out into a huge lot of parked metal beasts.

            “I’ve seen plants like these back towards the coast but there aren’t any cities like this. These buildings are like something out of a storybook.” She looked up at the blinking tops of skyscrapers before kneeling beside Caleb.

            “Wherever this is they obviously don’t have too much experience with Tieflings or Half-Orcs. So far I’ve only seen humans.” Beau slowly straightened up and surveyed the area as Jester mumbled some words and tried to heal Caleb again.

            There was another small glow and the human’s breathing stabilized.

            “We’re going to need to find a safe place to stay. Caleb will live…I think. As long as he is able to rest and get some food tomorrow.” She leaned back, exhausted and now completely out of spells.

            “Should we try and find an inn?” Beau asked, “I don’t think that laying in the dirt is going to be very restful.”

            “Not too much different from his usual environment though,” Molly muttered and earned an elbow from Jester.

            “I think that we should try and stay low for now. Those men in uniforms seemed like they would get along great with the Crown’s Guard. Think it’s a good idea to stay away from them,” she replied.

            “I’ll take the first watch,” Nott spoke for the first time, not taking her yellow eyes off of Caleb.

            The other three shared a glanced at how deathly serious their goblin friend has suddenly become.

            “I’ll take second.” Molly finally spoke up and sat in the wood shavings that surrounded the tree he leaned against.

            “Third.” Beau inserted and curled up on her side with her back to the fence surrounding them.

            Jester sighed and sat back, her eyelids dragging downwards just as her thoughts went to where Fjord could have possibly gone. She silently said a prayer to the Traveler to keep her friend safe as she drifted asleep.

            Only an hour or so later all but Caleb were roughly awakened by a loud, consistent chirping noise along with bright flashes of light.

            “What in the nine hells!?” Mollymauk growled as he blocked the flashing light that was blinding him.

            Jester yawned widely and crawled forward and peered past plants and the wire fence that surrounded them to the large open space filled with metal machines. There weren’t as many as there had been before, but one stopped just in front of them was the source of the lights and noise.

            Molly got up and flourished his blades as he easily leaped over the fence.

            “Molly wait!” Jester hissed, not wanting to attract any more attention.

            The purple Tiefling ignored her and grumpily stomped over the machine to see why it had begun to wake them up. He paused in front of it, eyes going wide as a man dressed in all black was rummaging around inside the machine.

            Molly cocked his brow and forcefully kicked the front of the machine, crushing the front of it and rocking it back enough to get the attention of the man inside. Thankfully, the chirping and flashing lights stopped as the man dressed in black fell out onto the ground, a pack of things he was taking from the machine scattering across the ground.

            “It’s really rude to wake people up with all that racket.” Molly sneered at the man as he stared at the Tiefling in abject horror.

            The man crawled backward as the Tiefling approached with his swords drawn, tail thrashing behind him.

            “Don’t think I don’t know a thief when I see one. Dark clothes, a bag full of goodies, middle of the night when decent folk have gone to bed.” He smirked, flashing his pointed canines.

            The man froze and swallowed as Molly towered about him, swords and eyes gleaming in the harsh light from the lampposts.

            “So…” the Tiefling purred, grabbing the man by his collar and lifting him to face level.

            “If all the good people are in bed what does that make me?”

            The man shrieked and wiggled free of Molly’s grip, abandoning his bag and fleeing down the street while shouting something about a devil.

            Molly’s manic grin dropped and he curiously crouched by the pack of random items, prodding with his claw at a strange rectangular device that seemed to be made of metal and glass.

            “Molly! Get back here before you’re seen!” Jester’s hiss came from the shadowy bush but the other Tiefling merely rolled his eyes.

            In one fluid motion, Mollymauk grabbed the pack with its contents and stood before turning to leap the fence. He landed with a dull thud of his boots and then leaned back against his tree.

            “What was that?” Jester grumbled, yawning widely as Beau rolled over onto her other side, muttering curses under her breath.

            Molly shrugged as he looked down to see that Nott had fallen asleep, curled by Caleb’s side as Frumpkin would. The female goblin’s shoulders rising and falling quickly.

            “So much for the first watch.” Molly murmured as he sat down, looking to Jester.

            “Go back to sleep. I can take it from here.”

            The blue Tiefling gratefully nodded and quickly fell back asleep, wrapped in her cloak to protect her from the damp, cool, night air. Molly grabbed the pack and started digging through it, pulling out the rectangular device, wads of thin, green slips of paper, a strange looking band of cloth and hard resin with two large cups that reminded the Tiefling of earmuffs.

            He sniffed them experimentally before running a hand down the long piece of cord that ran from the earmuffs and ended in a metal tip.

            “What world have we gotten into?” he whispered, glancing out through the trees as the rumble of the city kept him company.

* * *

 

            Quinn, a petite brunette, grabbed her purse off the counter of her small apartment as she hummed to herself. She snagged a bottle of water out of her sparsely stocked fridge before heading towards the front door. Outside she heard the faint blare of police sirens but paid no mind; it was Los Angeles after all.

            She locked the door behind her and then headed for the stairs, passing other apartments on her way to the stairwell.

            The woman continued her hummed tune under her breath as she dug for her keys, reaching the main floor. She shouldered open the exit door, flooding light into the dark parking lot behind her apartment.

            Quinn glanced up to her small red sedan when movement caught her eye and she froze.   

            At first, she thought it may have just been another person coming in from the parking lot but whatever she saw was not a person.

            The large figure, over six feet tall loomed out from behind her car with greenish skin and bright yellow eyes that shone in the light that flowed out of the door, cutting out just as the door slammed shut. It took a step back as Quinn couldn’t help but yell at the strange creature before her.

            It winced at the loud noise and Quinn went to turn back to her apartment, fumbling with her keys.

            Within seconds she felt a large hand grab her shoulder and she went for the pepper spray in her purse. Another hand grabbed her arm and dragged her back against her own car, her fingers not even making it into her bag.

            “Let go of me!” she screamed out just as the hand that was on her shoulder clamped over her mouth.

            Panic set in as Quinn imagined being eaten…or worse by whatever this thing was. With all her might she tried to punch, kick or hit her attacker but her blows her did nothing and bounced harmlessly again leather armor.

            “Calm down, I’m not going to hurt you!”

            The voice was deep and rang with an odd southern twang that Quinn wasn’t expecting. For a moment she stopped struggling and the green creature let her go, holding up its hands in a cautious but non-threatening fashion as the woman gathered herself, backing up against the wall.

            “I’m just trying to keep a low profile, don’t want any trouble.” The thing said again, yellow eyes locked onto Quinn as it waited for her response.

            The woman took a breath to try and stop the heavy pounding in her chest as she fully took in the figure before her.

            He, or at least she assumed it was a he because of the voice, was tall with dark hair and broad, muscled shoulders that were partly covered with leather armor. One shoulder was marred with several deep gashes that seemed only a few hours old while the hilt of what seemed to be a sword poked over the other.

            Quinn squinted and saw that the rest of this person was also covered in armor, the chest plate poked through by two nasty arrows and was covered in greenish splatters that had begun to dry.

            The more Quinn looked the more she noticed; the way that he carried himself partly hunched as if trying to avoid putting a strain on his right side and the slight shaking in his legs. He was hurt.

            “Who are you?” she finally asked, voice hoarse from yelling.

            The creature slowly lowered his hands, on coming to rest against his ribs as he winced.

            “I’m uh-well my name is Fjord.”

            Quinn nodded slowly, trying to make sense of what she saw in front of her.

            “You’re…hurt?”

            Fjord hesitated again before he nodded, “A bit. Me and my friends just came from, an altercation.”

            The woman stepped forward from the wall, “With Robin Hood from the looks of it.”

            Fjord looked down at the broken shafts of the arrows that stuck out of his armor and he gave an almost embarrassed laugh.

            “You could say that. Um, I apologize for frightening you.”

            Quinn nodded, “You would scare a lot of people with that weird get up and all the makeup. You said you were hiding?”

            Fjord’s demeanor darkened, “Yeah. My friends were cornered by some people and they started threatening us. I led them off and then hid back here because…well, I’m not entirely sure that we’re supposed to be here.”

            The woman didn’t know what to do or say. Was this guy an actor who was a little too into his part? Or maybe into dressing up and accidentally got in a fight?

            “What do you mean? Like trespassing?” she asked, slipping her hand into her purse and grabbing the small cylinder of pepper spray just in case.

            Fjord looked extremely uncomfortable at the question and stumbled slightly, wincing again.

            “I…I dunno. More like I don’t know where I am.” He hissed, holding his side in pain.

            “Damn trolls!”

            Quinn frowned as her brow furrowed, “You should really get to a hospital. Especially if those arrows are…real.”

            Fjord waved a hand, “I-I can’t not until I get back to my friends and figure out where we are.”

            He wavered again and put a hand against the back of Quinn’s car to steady himself. She glanced down at her watch, knowing that she was already running late for her shift at the ER.

            _‘What is with this guy? He seems so put together but strange at the same time. Where does he think he is? Should I call an ambulance?’_ she thought and slowly shifted closer to her car, trying to figure out a way to politely tell this guy to fuck off.

            He suddenly lurched forward, hitting the ground face first and revealing the bloody hole puncturing his right shoulder.

            “Oh my God!” Quinn gasped and instinctively shot forward, hands going to the bullet hole.

            Fjord didn’t respond as Quinn hesitantly shook him.

            “Get up! Come on! You have to get to a doctor!”

            She glanced down at the blood-stained form before her, back at the door to her apartment complex and then down to her nurse scrubs. With a groan of responsibility, Quinn found the key for her apartment and then knelt down, hefting Fjord’s arm over her shoulder as she muttered under her breath.

            “My boss is going to kill me…”


	3. Why Are the Nein So Bad At Making Friends?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At least they don't end up in jail...yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Achtung = "Watch out/danger" in Zemnian (German)

            Caleb sensed himself returning to consciousness and almost wished that he could stay in the darkness of sleep forever. As he awoke he felt the hard surface he way laying on poking him in the back and even the idea of moving sent aches throughout his body.

            He waited a few minutes before succumbing to the fact that he was indeed awake and should probably get up. He tried to remember why he had fallen asleep so suddenly and why his body felt like he’d been trampled by a Goliath. 

            Like the molasses that he would use for his spells the images of the night before surfaced to his mind. The roars of the Ogre, crumbling stone, Fjord about to be crushed under rubble, the sound of arcane words unwittingly being uttered, a sharp pain in his temple before blackness.

            Caleb shot upwards with a gasp, “Achtung!”

            The morning light momentarily blinded Caleb as he tried to get a hold of where he was. There was shuffling and the familiar voices of his friends as he blinked rapidly and rubbed his eyes.

            “Caleb! You’re awake!” Nott’s shout broke through the din of voices and Caleb felt something tug around his chest.

            As his vision cleared, Caleb saw his friend’s face smooshed into his coat in a tight hug as Molly, Jester, and Beau picked themselves up off of a wood chip covered ground.

            “Yes, yes I am here.” He patted the goblin's head gently as he began to take in his surroundings, frowning as he peered through the thin veil of tropical plants towards the towering structures in the distance.

            “Ah…where exactly is here?”

            The wizard first looked to Molly who scratched at the base of his horns before answering.

            “Well, that’s the kicker isn’t it. We’re not exactly sure where Jester’s Traveler put us. Best guess we have is somewhere near the coast.” The Tiefling shrugged, crossing his arms.

            Caleb noted the strange humidity that had not been present when they were fighting the trolls south of Rexxentrum. Caleb had never been to the Menagerie Coast but he suspected that it felt more like this with the moist air and tropical plants.

            “It feels like the coast,” Jester confirmed, taking her cloak off and stuffing it into the haversack as she also gazed out towards the huge buildings in the distance.

            “But I don’t know any city that looks like this. Do you Caleb?” she asked.

            Caleb got up robotically, shaking soreness from his limbs as he immediately murmured the words for Detect Magic under his breath. At first, he was confused as nothing happened and he turned in a large circle.

            The wizard knew that he had cast the spell as his mind twanged with the power but absolutely nothing set off the mental radar in his brain. Without a word he walked forward as he laid eyes on the massive mechanical contraption that Molly had crushed the front of the night before.

            He stared with a blank expression as he got within a few feet of the thing and still nothing went off in his mind and no magical aura leaped out at him.

            “Caleb are you okay?” Beau asked as everyone followed him out of the plants, over the fence and to the front of the machine.

            He didn’t answer at first and deliberately took a breath, “I can’t feel any magic here.”

            The four others looked at each other with narrowed eyes.

            “What do you mean Caleb? Like your magic is gone?” Nott asked, going up and placing a wrapped hand on the man’s leg.

            “No, but wherever we are there is no magic nearby. This contraption before us doesn’t use magic.” He hissed, looking as a couple other machines with people inside passed well within his spell on the black road to their right.

            “That doesn’t mean there isn’t any magic.” Jester piped up, trying to reassure the man.

            “No…but something doesn’t feel right.” Caleb responded, backing up so he was against the wire fence.

            The others looked on helplessly, just as confused as their friend.

            “Well, figuring out where we are can be put off until we find some other people. First, we need to find the one missing person from our party.”

            “Oh shit, Fjord!” Beau exclaimed, grabbing her head and turning back the way they had come the night before.

             “I totally forgot he bailed with those weird soldiers on his tail.”

            “How are we going to find Fjord? No one has any spells that can locate a person, do they?” Jester questioned, voice lilting as hoping someone did have a spell like that.

            The following silence spoke for itself.

            “I can use message to try and find him. If we walk around he might get it.” Nott finally offered, producing her slim piece of copper wire.

            “That might be our best bet at the moment. In a city this large it could take a while though.” Molly crossed his arms, gazing out across the landscape as the sun beat down without a sign of clouds.

            “Unfortunately, I don't think I can contribute.” Caleb ran a hand through his blood and dirt caked hair, fingers getting caught about halfway.

            “Then let’s get walking. Try and find out both where we are and where Fjord went.” Molly straightened and began striding along the street, already attracting strange looks from a couple walking along in the opposite direction.

            “Hope the big guy is alright.” Beau said, following behind.

            “Right now,” Caleb pulled his hood up despite the bright sunlight, “I think we need to worry about ourselves.”

* * *

 

            “I’m so sorry Scarlett. I had…an emergency pop up last night and I think I’m going to out for the rest of today. If you could cover the shift I’d really appreciate it.”

            Fjord winced as the loud voice woke him suddenly from sleep. He tensed his muscles as the pain returned from the night before, less sharp and intense but a constant throb. For a moment he listened and waited, not knowing where he was as he heard soft footsteps pacing back and forth somewhere behind where he was laying.

            “I know, I know…” the same voice was talking to no one or at least someone that Fjord couldn’t hear.

            “I owe you one. I promise I’ll make it up to you with dinner or some Starbucks…I’ll let you know how the situation is by tomorrow. Yes…thanks again Scar. Yup bye.” The voice responded in rapid succession as the footsteps stopped and there was a long sigh.

            “Fuck me…” the low curse almost made Fjord laugh but he managed to keep his breathing even and undisturbed as he attempted to appear asleep.

            The footsteps started towards him and he felt himself tense in an attempt to focus on his breathing and eye movements. Cool fingers firmly grasped his wrist as the person took his heartbeat, counted under their breath for thirty seconds before gently replacing his arm.

            Footsteps then padded away and out of earshot before the sound of a door could be heard closing.

            Instantaneously, Fjord sat up, wincing as his ribs twinged. He looked around and analyzed his surroundings, not recognizing anything that looked familiar. The half-orc saw that he had been laying on a low couch next to a table. His chest armor and boots had been taken off leaving him in his hooded black shirt, pants, and leg armor. He also felt bandages circling around where the human had injured him the night before under his shirt.

            Fjord looked around for any sign where his armor and boots were, but he didn’t see them in the small living area. Across from where he sat on the couch there was a larger table with four chairs seated around it, a bright, nonflickering light above it.

            It briefly reminded the half-orc of the globules of light that Caleb could create with magic.

            He stood, holding his side as he silently tried to skirt towards the galley kitchen to his left. Fjord glanced behind a stone counter top and saw only strange metal boxes that gave off low hums with no sign of his belongings.

            Fjord whipped around and glanced down a carpeted hallway that had three closed doors. One on each side of the hall and one at the very end. He stealthily padded down the hall and listened for any sounds. There was the dull hiss of running water coming from the door at the end of the hall and Fjord assumed that’s where whoever was helping him had gone. He slowly turned the doorknob of the door on the left and opened it, preparing to run if his assumption was wrong.

            Luckily, the door swung open to reveal a clean, undisturbed bedroom decorated with dark moons and stars. Old boxes and junk were piled on the bed and everything seemed coated with dust. Fjord quickly entered and began rummaging around with no sign of his armor. 

            “Dammit.” he whipped around and closed the door behind him as he went back out into the living area, wondering if he should make a run for it.

            He rushed to the windows, hoping to leave unseen and looked down to an almost nauseating sight of the ground several hundred feet below him. Fjord desperately glanced around but there was nothing but empty air beyond the windows and patches of manicured grass and shrubs far below.

            He backed up into the center of the room when the click of a door caught his attention.

            Fjord turned, as the same woman that had seen him the night before walked in; short brown hair freshly wetted and brushed, dark eyes with a left eyebrow piercing looking down at a small device as a toothbrush stuck out of her mouth.

            For a solid thirty seconds the half-orc was frozen in place as the woman padded into the doorway and finished tapping at the screen before looking up. Her dark eyes instantly went wide, and the device clattered to the ground as she saw Fjord.

            “Oh shit…” Fjord muttered as the woman’s mouth opened, dumbstruck, so that her toothbrush fell to the floor beside the device.

            On instinct, he summoned his falchion, the waterlogged blade appearing with a blinding green/blue flash that caused the woman to shriek.

            Fjord widened his stance to await any potential attack as he held his sword in front of him, yellow eyes narrowed dangerously.

            The two stared at each other and the woman wiped the residual toothpaste from her face as she leaned down to pick up the two fallen items from the ground, maintaining eye contact with Fjord the whole time. She slowly stood back up and held her hands up, palm out as if trying to calm a panicked animal.

            “You’re awake.” She stated, working her way to her left towards the low table and couch.

            Fjord followed her with his blade.

            “I guess so.” he replied, as the woman placed her device and toothbrush down before raising both her hands once more.

            She nodded, encouraged by the calm response, “My name is Quinn,” she introduced herself with a brief smile.

            “Last night, you passed out after being shot. I bandaged you back up and let you rest here,” Quinn explained, and Fjord slowly lowered his blade, though kept it manifested and dripping some seawater onto the floor.

            He considered the woman before straightening up, “Well, I guess I should thank you for ah, patching me up then.”

            Quinn gently lowered her hands, “You said your name was Fjord, right?”

            The half-orc inclined his head, “Yes.”

            “Then, would you mind putting that away Fjord?” she asked, looking towards the sword that was still at his side, "I'm not fond of being threatened with giant swords."

            He frowned, “Unfortunately, I’d like to keep this here. For my own safety.”

            “I promise that nothing is going to hurt you here.” She tried to bargain, glancing briefly to her front door.

            “Where is here exactly then?” the half-orc suddenly asked, eyes intense.

            Quinn's eyeline went to the skyline outside her windows, “You don’t know where you are?”

            “It’s been a bit of a trip. Me and my friends were running from some trouble and ended up here, wherever that is.” he answered, almost embarrassed. 

            The woman swallowed again at this statement, “You’re currently in LA. you know, Los Angeles California.”

            For a moment Fjord blankly stared at Quinn before glancing out the window as well, eyes rapidly scanning the scenery for anything that seemed familiar.

            “What do you mean Los Angeles? Where is that?” he growled, stumbling over the new name.

            He raised his sword once more the glow strengthening as the woman locked eyes with Fjord.

            “It’s a huge city in the United States!” Quinn’s cool was beginning to fade as the sword was pointed at her once more.

            “You know, United States? USA? North America!?”

            None of these names registered in Fjord’s mind as he tried to picture the map of the Dwendalian Empire. Panic hit him square in the chest as he attempted to figure out where they could have possibly gone.

            “Please, just put that thing down.” Quinn saw the fear register in the half-orc’s eyes as he whipped back around from looking out the window.

            She knew that the guy was only a few seconds from either attacking or running away.

            Quinn glanced between Fjord’s sword and the bolted front door, placating the urge to rush out and yell for the police herelf.

            “You don’t understand, I don’t know where the fuck I am!” Fjord’s usually even demeanor flared into uncertainty laced stress and shadowy magenta power flickered around his other hand for a moment.

            “FJORD!”

            The shout of his name rang in the half-orc’s mind and for a long moment he was certain that the woman had shouted it. But her lips hadn’t moved.

            “What?” he murmured.

            “Fjord! Where are you? You can respond to this message.” Nott’s voice reverberated through his ears, but Quinn didn’t hear it.

            It clicked in Fjord’s mind: he was hearing a message spell.

            “Nott, I’m here!” he said out loud, causing Quinn to jump.

            There was a brief pause in which Fjord turned, ignoring the woman in front of him now to search outside the window for any sign of his friends. He looked down the small road that laced between the towering buildings around him, beyond the black gate encompassing his building, and down as far as he could see to the other street.

            “Where? Along the road?” Nott’s voice came back.

            “I’m in one of the towers.” He replied and stopped as down below, just outside the black gate the ran along next to some perfectly cubed bushes he saw the flash of blue hair and horns.

            “Which one? There are many.” The goblin asked.

            “Stop right there! I see you!” Fjord cried out as he indeed saw Jester, Nott, Caleb, and Molly walking along the road on the opposite side of the fence and he started waving.

            “One of these?” the far away figure of Nott turned towards the gate, squinting up at where Fjord was.

            “Yes, yes one of the big ol’ yellow ones.” he felt one of the many knots in his stomach unfurl as his friends began to try and clamber over the gate below.

            He whipped around and went to bolt for the door, only to see Quinn standing in front of it, the same device she had dropped earlier clutched in one hand while she held a small canister in the other.

            “Stay where you are.” She said evenly, “I’m going to call the police and they’re going to come get you.”

            Fjord’s eyes narrowed, “I just want to leave. I don’t want to hurt you.”

            Quinn nodded, “You don’t have to. I just need you to stay where you are. Whatever is going on here you need to get some help, the police will be able to do that.”

            “I don’t think they can.” Fjord gripped his sword harder, tensing his legs.

            His side still twinged painfully as he readied to either sprint past the woman in front of him or possible cut her down. The half-orc didn’t want to harm her, he understood that she was scared and had helped in patching him up. But Fjord had no idea what was going on and didn’t want one person to stand in the way of getting back to his party.

            “Stand aside.” He ordered.

            Quinn glanced at her phone, finger hovering above the screen before looking back to Fjord. She opened her mouth to reply when a loud, happy series of knocks thumped from behind the front door.

            “Fjord it us!” Jester’s merry voice piped up from the other side of Quinn and her eyes went wide.

            “I’m here Jester!” the half-orc answered and went towards the door.

            “Don’t move!” Quinn’s panicked voice hissed back as she backed closer to the door, putting herself directly between Fjord and it.

            “Who else in in there?” Nott’s voice chimed in and was followed by a low mutter from someone else that was undecipherable.

            Fjord growled under his breath as Quinn continued to force the standoff, face pale but determined.

            There was a loud click and Quinn half turned seconds before the door blew open; a gust of wind bursting open with such force that it knocked Quinn into her kitchen and to the floor.

            She went sprawling across the linoleum and the small cannister flew across the room, knocking against the far wall.

            Jester, Beau, Molly, Caleb, and Nott flew into the room with weapons drawn and hands raised as the door slammed shut behind them. They were met with the image of Fjord without his armor and boots standing in the middle of the apartment holding his seawater dripping sword.

            “You’re alive!” Jester exclaimed and jumped forward, awkwardly throwing her arms around a shocked and still defensive Fjord.

            “Barely…” he grumbled, straightening up before grimacing as his side ached once more.

            There was a sudden scramble and Quinn pulled herself up from the floor, hair disheveled as she grabbed ahold of a large kitchen knife from a drawer. Her eyes were wild as she stared at all the newcomers that burst their way into her apartment.

            “Who the hell are you people? Where did you come from!?” she snarled as Molly and Caleb turned to see what the commotion was.

            The purple Tiefling shared a glance with the wizard before he slowly approached, his own swords drawn at his sides.

            “Found yourself a friend, Fjord?” he smirked as the woman backed up as far as she could, shoulders bumping against the glass of a small window.

            Her hands started to shake as she held the large knife in front of her, Molly took a step closer eyes examining the human with brash curiosity.

            “I’m not his friend. Why are you in my house!?” she panted, staring at the Tiefling with borderline rage.

            Molly tilted his head and held one of his swords up to be even with the kitchen knife, “Mine’s bigger sweetheart. I’d put it down before someone gets hurt.” He advised with an added wink.

* * *

 

            Quinn stared, unable to process what was happening as the purple, horned humanoid began looking around her apartment with avid interest. The man behind him was ratty and had what appeared to be dried blood and mud tangled in his ruddy hair. Across the room near Fjord were the three others.

            Another horned woman was asking Fjord something in a hushed tone as her bright eyes locked onto Quinn. The other woman, a lean woman with a topknot and undercut watched her with a more hawk-like intensity.

            The final, small figure seemed to have taken keen notice of a shelf of knickknacks that were about four feet too far off the ground for it to reach. Quinn gulped as the small formed turned and she saw the long, green ears and yellow eyes peering out from under a hood and cracked doll-like mask.

            “I’m fine Jester, really, you can use one of your spells later.” Fjord’s voice interrupted Quinn’s thoughts as he lifted his arm and the sword he was holding vanished with a soft pop. 

            His gaze landed back onto Quinn and all the other’s eyes followed suite, pinning her in place as she realized with dread that she was now far out numbered by this group of strangers. All of whom seemed to have one form of weapon or another.

            “Who are you?” the blue woman with horns finally spoke up, her voice a bit too loud for the space.

            Quinn blinked at her, wanting nothing more than to run at that moment. She took a shaky breath in through her nose and let it out through her mouth before the dry words fell from her lips.

            “My name is Quinn Gable. I’m the one that saved your friend, Fjord, here.”

            The group peered back to Fjord who nodded in confirmation, “It’s true. That one human shot me with some nasty ballistic.”

            _‘Again…such weird language. Do they not know what guns are?’_ Quinn thought, trying to pinpoint where these people were from.

            “You mean a bullet?” she finally blurted out, drawing attention back to her.

            “What’s a bullet? Some sort of projectile?” the messy looking man put in, a heavy almost German accent curling the last word oddly.

            Quinn nodded, “In basic terms, yes. You really don’t know too much do you?”

            The group once more shared a look and the woman felt left out of some sort of inside information. The one that Fjord had called Jester seemed about to answer when a heavy knock pounded from the other side of front door.

            Everyone froze as a deep voice called from the other side, “Quinn Gable, this is apartment security.”

            The strangers all started to panic as the woman with the undercut swept a quarter staff from her shoulders to point in Quinn’s face. With sharp eyes she indicated silently that the woman should go to the door.

            Quinn glanced behind her to Fjord who nodded darkly, waving for the others to fall back.

            The woman prodded Quinn and she walked back over to the front door, mind racing as she tried to come up with something to say to the security guard. Was she really going to lie to this person? Couldn't she just run for it?

            Her hand shakily grabbed the doorknob and she swallowed as the end of the staff poked the small of her back. Quinn gently opened the door and looked up to the upraised fist of the security guard as he was about to knock again.

            “Good morning Quinn.” A tall man with a tight, black, afro smiled genuinely.

            Quinn smiled back, a little more strained than was normal as she gazed up at the familar security guard.

            “Morning Shawn. For what do I owe the pleasure?” she asked, keeping only enough of the door open to show her face and obscuring the strangers in her apartment.

            “Sorry to disturb. A neighbor called and said that they heard shouting and a door slam over here. Didn’t know that the apartment was yours. Is everything okay?’ Shawn asked, leaning to his right to try and get a better look into the room beyond.

            Quinn, gently leaned with him trying to appear calm and collected as her heart beat into her throat.

            “Oh, yeah I just had a few friends stop by and one accidentally slammed the door. Just really excited to see them; hence the shouting.” She explained, feeling sweat drip down the back of her neck.

            Shawn nodded, smile widening and shoulders relaxing as his gaze returned back to the woman in front of him.

            “Ah, alright. Sorry for disturbing you and your company. Out of town friends?” Shawn casually leaned against the wall, as if settling in for a nice long talk.

            Quinn felt the staff poke her in the shoulder once again and, for a brief moment, she had the urge to just throw open the door and hide behind Shawn as he called for police. Why was she trying to hide these people? She didn’t know them and for all Quinn knew they could be planning to kill her as soon as Shawn was out of sight. 

            For a moment the guard looked at Quinn and she realized that she hadn’t answered his question.

            “Oh, yeah from cross country. Traveled a long time to get here.” She grinned, gripping the doorknob as the lie slid from her lips.

            “Speaking of which I should probably get them set up. I bet they have _a lot_ to tell me about where they’re from.”

            Shawn cocked an eye brow at the seemingly strange choice of words, but his smile didn’t falter as stood back up.

            “Of course, the East coast is like a whole other world. Again, sorry to bother you while you have company. Hope it all goes well.” He turned to leave with a wave and a tip of his hat.

            Quinn waved goodbye and as soon as Shawn was out of sight she closed the door, swearing that her hand would have left an indent in the metal of the doorknob. She turned back to glare daggers at the on looking group of strangers there were all gathered in the corner of her apartment, watching with bated breath.

            “You…didn’t tell him?” the small green creature asked, coming out from behind the dirty man.

            “Would you prefer I did?” Quinn growled, eyes going back to Fjord who seemed to be giving her a new, undecipherable look.

            The group was silent as the woman with the staff put the weapon away and stepped back with her friends, all looking to Quinn now.

            "Thank you." the purple horned man finally said and Quinn felt a sliver of her anger dissolve as the reality of how confused these people seemed.

            “You're welcome...I guess. In return for that, I want something from you all.” She said begrudgingly, crossing her arms over her chest.

            The group all glanced at each other, “We have some coin if-” Fjord started to bargain but Quinn held up a hand.

            “No. No money, no threatening or violence. I want the truth about what the fuck is going on and where you weirdos came from. Nothing more or less. Any funny business and the police will be here in minutes.” She steadily glared at Fjord until he finally looked away with a sigh.

            “Seem fair to you guys?” he asked the rest of his friends.

            A moment of silence passed as they all slowly nodded in response, the woman with the staff the last to grudgingly shake her head.

            “If that’s what it takes to get out of here unnoticed.” She grumbled, pulling out one of the table’s chair and sitting with a huff, kicking up her shoes.

            Fjord rubbed the back of his neck with another long breath, his eyes softening as Quinn continued to stare, uncomfortably standing in the space between the front door and living room.

            “This might be a long story. You should probably get a seat.” He began.

            “And maybe something to drink.”


	4. Molly Always Was the Best Spender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A deal is made and Molly is actually a genius, Quinn almost immediately regrets it though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any ideas for future chapters as this series begins? I have a few ideas but I can always use more!

Quinn stared at the floor between her socks, a beer clutched in her hand as she held the side of her head with the other. She sat on the edge of her couch while the six other individuals sat either on the floor in front of her or in the dining chairs.

            “So, you’re from another dimension…” she finally said before taking a large swig from her bottle.

            The group gave a varied array of nods as the woman rubbed her face.

            “That seems like the answer…though we have no idea why.” Molly said, looking the most relaxed out of all of them, shoeless and sitting crisscross in his chair with an arm draped over the back.

            Quinn let out a long breath, drank the last dregs of her beer and sat back in the couch, pressing the heels of her palms into her eyes until she saw bursts of color. For several seconds she wondered if a camera crew was going to pop out of the woodwork along with a bubbly host, laughing at how she got pranked as he slipped her a check for winning a crazy gameshow. That would be preferable to her current situation.

            “You do know how crazy that sounds right!?” she finally sat up, arms thrown up towards the ceiling.

            “There is no such thing as time or interdimensional travel, no magic, no creepy gods that come down and show us doorways to other worlds. Here we only have movies and shows about that sort of thing!”

            The purple skinned Tiefling, as Quinn had come to learn that’s what his race was, shrugged, “It’s as weird for us to hear as for you.”

            “You really don’t have magic here? Or Orcs, Dwarves, Halflings…” the man who said his name was Caleb seemed both intrigued and horrified at the same time.

            Quinn shook her head, “We have magic tricks and some people that believe in magic. But nothing like what you’re talking about and no…we don’t have goblins, hobbits, elves or whatever else you said. Only humans.”

            “That would explain our warm welcome from those guys…” Beau interjected.

            “Those _guys_ ,” Quinn growled back, “are the police! If they find all of you, you’ll be thrown in jail or more likely some psychiatric hospital.”

            She glanced around the room, frustrated as the group only seemed slightly annoyed by that idea. The small green goblin, who Quinn found out was called Nott, was absentmindedly gnawing at her fingernails.

            “Though that may help…some of you.” She muttered as the Goblin crunched loudly on the bit of nail in her mouth.

            Finally, Fjord sat forward, setting his elbows on his knees.

            “Well, if that is the case then we need to find some way of getting back home. Jester, have you tried asking the Traveler to get us back?” he looked to the blue Tiefling who was drawing in one of her books.

            She looked up, hair bouncing around her face as she glanced around.

            “Well, no. I guess I can see if he followed us here.” She put her book away and looked upwards, putting her hands together as if praying at church.

            “Um, Traveler…hi it’s Jester. I guess you sent us to another dimension by accident, we really appreciate that we got away from that Ogre and all, but we should get back to our own world. Especially since we’re being hunted down by the police again and, that’s not all that great so I know we’d all like it if we could get, um, another cool portal back home.”

            Everyone waited silently for thirty seconds as nothing happened.

            “This isn’t some joke is it? Like, I’m not getting pranked by my friend Scarlett, right?” Quinn finally asked, eyeing the ceiling for some magic wormhole to open up.

            “Nope, apparently we’re just all fucking insane.” Beau yawned, glancing out the window to look out at the cityscape.

            Quinn ran a hand through her hair and stood, quickly going into her kitchen and grabbing another beer from the fridge.

            “You got any more of those?” the monk asked quickly, sitting up so her feet were no longer propped up on the table.

            The woman raised an eyebrow, “First you break into my home and now you want a drink?”

            Beau rolled her eyes before taking a large gold coin out of her purse and flicking it over to Quinn.

            “That enough to buy a drink in this weird crazy dimension?”

            Quinn caught the coin before it hit the countertop and examined it.

            “Is this real gold?”

            “What else would it be? Can I just get a damn drink!?” Beau grumbled, exuding the temperament of a five-year-old who wanted a cookie.

            Quinn rolled her eyes and reluctantly grabbed the last two bottles from her fridge before tossing one over the counter to the monk.

            “I guess you should know that we don’t deal in metal coins in this world. Haven’t since…I dunno, like the 1800’s.”

            Beau popped the cap of the beer with her staff, “1800’s? What year is it here?”

            Quinn went back over to the couch and sat, sipping her new drink before answering.

            “It’s towards the end of 2018.”

            Beau nearly spit out her mouthful at the large number.

            “Holy shit!” she choked, wiping some beer from her shirt.

            Quinn let a small, amused smile cross her face, “Why what year was it when you left your world? Not this early I’d guess.”

            “It was 835 P.D in the Dwendalian Empire when we left.”  Caleb put in, not looking up from his own book that he was scribbling in.

            Quinn processed the number and let out a low whistle.

            “Man, ya’ll are from the shitty dark ages.” She leaned back and watched, somewhat impressed and horrified as Beau downed the entire bottle of her drink in one go.

            “Dark ages?” Nott piped up, eyes focusing as she finished gnawing at her still ragged fingernails.

            Quinn swallowed her mouthful and looked away as Beau belched loudly.

            “Yeah, I’m no history buff but the Dark Ages were a time a long time ago where people dressed sorta like you guys and still believed in magic, gods, and most of the world was controlled by kings. Most of the time though people were either dying of the Black Death or fighting each other,” she drank again from her bottle, getting to halfway and feeling a bit of warmth tint her cheeks.

            “Sounds about right…” Fjord muttered, glancing down and prodding at frayed fabric of his shirt where one of the arrows had ripped through his armor.

            “So, we’re in a more advance era, sounds fascinating.” Molly got up and gazed out the window, as if a king surveying a kingdom.

            “But what are we going to do? We don’t know how to get home, if we’re seen by more police we’ll be arrested, and we know nothing about this world. Are there even inns where we could stay?” Jester rattled off, tapping her chin as she turned to Quinn.

            “In LA? Hell, there are hotels every few feet on some streets, but they cost a decent chunk of change even in some of the sketcher ones. As far as long term, it gets even worse. My rent alone is about fourteen-hundred dollars a month.” Quinn grumbled, placing her drink down on the table.

            “Doesn’t help that my sister is gone permanently now.”

            The group’s interested and enthusiasm began to die as they looked at each other, real fear showing through Jester and Caleb’s features while concern emanated from the rest.

            “I doubt there’s anywhere to really camp either?” Fjord asked, rubbing his eyes as he grasped for any possibilities.

            Quinn’s demeanor changed as well as she began to read the room, feeling the seriousness fade in over the previously careless attitude.

            “Camping? Not really unless you go further out towards the desert…well unless you go to one of the…tent cities.” her voice trailed off as she thought about the ramshackle homeless cities that had become as much a part of LA as the Hollywood sign.

            “That sounds like something!” Jester quickly exclaimed but Quinn shook her head.

            “No.” Quinn blinked at her own sudden burst of defensiveness.

            “You really don’t want to go there. It’s hard enough for humans to survive there, it’s more of a situation of having to be there for most. For you guys…I doubt you’d make it a night without being harassed.” She finished.

            Fjord leaned back before standing and beginning to pace, “At this rate we don’t have much a choice.”

            A few beats of silence stretched on as everyone seemed to think, eyes darting around the room until Molly finally turned from his window gazing with narrowed eyes and somewhat mischievous smile.

            “Well then, Quinn was your name, right?” he walked over, leaning over the coffee table.

            The woman’s eyes squinted up at the Tiefling in return, “Yeah…”

            “You have quite a bit of room up here.” His smile broadened as Quinn instantly picked up on his hint.

            “Oh no. Absolutely not!” she stood, making her way out from the couch and away from Molly, “Not in a fucking million years!”

            “What!?” Jester asked, not having caught up to Molly’s train of thought as the Tiefling continued to approach the now stammering Quinn.

            “There is…how could you…no! You cannot stay here with me!” she finally backed up against the wall, running her hands through her now messy hair.

            “I can barely keep this place by myself with the amount I make from the ICU. And you making me miss two days of work isn’t helping in the slightest!” she pinned Fjord with a hard stare that he held evenly.

            Molly tapped a pointed fingernail against his chin before grabbing the small black bag that he had brought in with him off the floor.

            “How much would it be to stay here? You mentioned your sister had paid some of the rent?” he asked, digging inside the bag.

            Quinn watched him with disbelief, “She usually paid seven hundred a month plus whatever she needed for buying food. How in the world would you even-” her words were cut off as Molly pulled out a wad of cash from his bag, the crinkled bills held together with a rubber band.

            From what she could see most of the bills were fifties and hundreds.

            “What the hell Molly? Where’d you get that!?” Fjord eyes went wide as he stalked forward and grabbed the stack of money.

            The Tiefling’s smile couldn’t have been wider as he crossed his arms over his scarred chest, “Last night we busted some creep breaking into one of those metal contraptions. He dropped this as he ran off. My guess is he had hit quite a few others beforehand.”

            Quinn watched with an open mouth as Fjord thumbed through the stack before handing it back to Molly. He easily snatched it back before fanning himself with it and turning back to the aghast Quinn.

            “So. This enough to by some space?” he raised an eyebrow as Quinn swallowed and nervously began tapping her fingers.

            “How much is it?” she finally asked, voice almost hoarse.

            Molly glanced down, façade faltering slightly as he realized himself that he didn’t know. The smile was back instantly as he quickly held the cash out.

            “I’m sure it’s quite enough.” He purred.

            Quinn gently accepted the money and began counting in her head as her fingers flipped through the green bills.

            Fifty…hundred…two hundred…five…seven.

            The number kept going up until she reached the end of the stack.

            “Twelve. You just so happen to have twelve-hundred dollars.” She finally squeaked out, eyes dragging from the obscene amount of money in her hand to the group of misfits before her.

            Molly nodded, as he’d known all along, “So. Your sister’s room is open?”

            Quinn covered her mouth with one hand as her brain fought to catch up with what was happening. She half wondered if this was a fever dream and that she was still asleep somewhere or maybe she drank too much, and the beer was affecting her more than she thought. All she knew was that this money shouldn’t be in her hand and yet…it was.

            “One month.” Quinn felt the words leave her lips even before she really had a chance to think any more.

            “You’re here for one month and then you’re out on the curb.” She straightened up, money now clamped firmly in her other hand.

            Fjord and the others looked incredulously at Molly who simply nodded, “Of course. Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

* * *

 

            Quinn hefted the fifth and final box out of her sister’s room, feeling the urge to sneeze as a puff of dust came up from within. The stack of carboard boxes was stuffed in the corner along with a random assortment of objects that had been in her sister’s room.

            A hammock chair, a telescope, two posters of Tom Selleck, a broken hair dryer and a hot plate that had something burned in greasy splotches across the top just to name some of the stuff.

            “The room has one full sized bed and room a blowup mattress, I left that in there for you to set up. The rest of you will have to either fight over the couch or be okay with the floor.” She wiped her brow, beginning to regret her decision to shower earlier in the day.

            Everyone else was looking at her in a varied range of ways; starting with Molly’s excited expression and ending with Beau’s uninterested one.

            “Are there any ground rules that we should know now?” Fjord asked with arms folded over his chest.

            Quinn raised an eyebrow and leaned back against the doorjamb, “Some common decency and sense, I guess. Don’t take anything that isn’t yours and I won’t touch yours. And, if you all decide to, well, if you christen your temporary home just don’t let me hear it.”

            Fjord’s eyes went wide at the suggestion and he felt his cheeks darken slightly as Molly leaned an elbow on his shoulder, “Can’t make any promises. We are a rowdy bunch!” the Tiefling winked as the half-orc shoved him off.

            “I assure you, we’ll keep that to a minimum.” He grumbled back.

            Quinn’s stony face softened, her mouth quirking for a second before she straightened up and gestured towards the hall behind her.

            “Well…if there’s anything you need. I guess let me know,” the others nodded in acknowledgment as the woman slowly turned and walked down the hall.

            The energy in the room died immediately as Fjord let out a long breath and sat on the floor.

            “Jester you better move on trying to get the Traveler to bring us back home.” He growled, rubbing his face again as if trying to wake himself up.

            The Tiefling’s usually happy face was solemn as she nodded, sitting down on the couch and staring down at the floor.

            “I don’t know why the Traveler brought us here…he had to have done it on purpose.” She almost whispered as Molly sat beside her.

            “It’s okay dear,” he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, “we’ve been in worse situations. Besides, this world is more than interesting enough to keep us preoccupied for a month.”

            “A month,” Caleb echoed, scratching at his stubbly face, “one month to figure out how to get home.”

            Beau had taken to squatting in one of the dining chairs and looking out the window, arms folded atop her knees.

            “I can’t believe that we’re really that far from where we came from. Not only through another dimension but also with time. We’re nearly a thousand years in the future.” The monk stated, watching a plane in the distance go across the cloudless sky.

            “We very well could still be home but everyone we knew…they’re gone.”

            No one said anything as they began to fully process the different realms of possibility.

            Caleb and Nott sat on the floor against the far wall, the latter sitting in the man’s lap as he scribbled in his book. Fjord paced back and forth in front of the window and Beau as Molly sat on the couch with Jester.

            Each one weighing the costs of what their journey had taken from them.

* * *

 

            Quinn listened on the other side of the door, ear pressed against the metal as the voices stopped and silence filled the space. She waited a few more seconds before pulling away and running her hands over her face before flopping onto her bed.

            Her face sunk into her comforter and for a moment she held her breath before turning over onto her back and letting it out. She glanced over to her dresser’s top drawer briefly but shook her head.

            “Alright…” she muttered, sitting up and looking down at the large sum of money that was still in her other hand.

            Quinn took a deep, calming inhale and slowly undid the rubber band circling the bills. Deliberately, she counted out the bills and sorted them by type.

            In total Quinn counted $1204 dollars with seven hundreds, eight fifties, five twenties and then four additional one dollar bills. When she was done, she took two of the twenty-dollar bills, the ones, and one fifty before stuffing the rest into a paper envelope.

            The money she took she slid into a wallet while the envelope went into her closet and up on the tallest most shelf into a shoebox with a pair of shoes.

            As she closed the closet door Quinn felt the shakiness start to leave her arms as the amount of money was now out of sight and accounted for. She walked into her own private bathroom and splashed some water onto her face from the sink. The woman stared at her reflection for several seconds, watching a rivulet of water drip from her eyebrow piercing to her chin.

            “I’m fucking insane…” she swore to herself, turning her gaze to the drain of the sink.

            Her stomach suddenly growled in agreement and she grabbed it as the idea of food popped into her head. Quinn dried her face with a towel hanging from the back of the door and quickly changed from her nurse scrubs into a casual t-shirt and jeans. The more she thought about what she was going to eat the more Quinn realized that she may have to go to the store.

            She remembered that her last two beers had been one of the few things left in her fridge along with a couple of pretty ripe avocados and a box of leftover Chinese. So, unless she and her new guests wanted to eat cereal for the next month, she’d need to get some food.

            Quinn grabbed her purse and sneakers from the floor before prepping herself to go back out into the living room.

            She pulled open her door and almost ran smack dab into Fjord’s upraised hand.

            “Ah!” Quinn cried, feeling her heart nearly beat out of her chest.

            Fjord pulled back, “Oh uh, sorry.” He apologized as Quinn caught her breath.

            “It’s…alright. Um, what’s up?” she asked, putting a hand over her chest.

            Fjord looked almost a little sheepish as he glanced back towards the open door of the guest room, “Me and my friends are a little unsure of how to use the floating mattress and-” just as he began to form more words there was a loud series of bangs followed by the sound of the largest balloon ever popping.

            Quinn’s eyes went wide as she ran into the room to see the blow-up mattress deflated on the floor with a huge tear in it. On the floor beside it looking very windblown and disorientated was Nott, spread eagle on the carpet while Jester kneeled behind her.

            “What the hell!?” Quinn looked to the Tiefling who looked back with a slight smirk.

            “I tried to make it so the mattress would inflate faster but I may have done it too fast.” She shrugged as Nott picked herself up off the ground.

            “This…” Quinn growled, nearly slapping herself in the face, “is going to be a long month.”  


	5. Congrats You've Driven Her Insane!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not even a day in and the Nein have already broken Quinn.

            Quinn shut the door of her car with a loud bang, red faced as she threw her purse into the passenger seat and grabbed the steering wheel. She glared straight ahead for several seconds before jamming the keys into the ignition and revving the engine.

            “I can’t believe this is my life now…” she grumbled as the radio faded into existence and she closed her eyes to focus for a few seconds.

            Quinn took a breath through her nose and let it out through her mouth, forcing her clenched jaw open as she tried to usher in soothing thoughts, _‘Gentle waves. Everything’s okay, just need some time to think and process. You’re going to get some groceries and then head back. Your apartment will be fine, these weirdos will be fine. If no on sees them they’ll be perfect, as long as-’_

            Within those few seconds she heard the trunk of her car click and Quinn’s eyes shot open, darting immediately to the rear mirror. The door of her truck slammed shut and there was a muffled curse followed by some scrabbling before silence followed.

            The woman stared at her back seat through her mirror, imagining who was now curled in the back of her small trunk. Quinn felt frozen as rising waves of both frustration and disbelief curled within her stomach.

            “Oh fuck!” she growled and kicked open her door before storming around to the trunk of her car.

            She clicked the button on her key and the trunk popped open. Quinn ripped it open, jolting her car as she stared down at the crouched form of Nott in the trunk, apparently halfway through digging through a box of emergency supplies that Quinn kept back there with her face half covered with a mask.

            “Oh, ah hello.” The goblin girl gave a lanky wave and dropped the granola bar that she was clutching.

            She froze for a moment and whipped out a small piece of metal from her pocket as Quinn reached forward, lunging for the goblin’s hood.

            “Abort, abort! Mission failed-AH!” Nott yelled into her cupped hands as Quinn grabbed her by the back of her cloak and hefted her out of the trunk of her car.

            The woman lifted the surprisingly light goblin, so her face was even with hers, “What. The hell. Are you. Doing!?” Quinn hissed each word.

            Nott’s mask swung down, revealing her nervous smile of pointed teeth.

            “Did your friends put you up to this?!” Quinn demanded before staring up at the windows that she knew were hers.

            Quinn couldn’t make out any shapes but she hoped that any human, orc, or tiefling looking down at her could see her glaring.

            “I…I was just making sure that you weren’t going…going to bring the police back to take us away.” The goblin stuttered, staring up at Quinn for the first time with genuine concern.

            The woman held her stern face but dropped the goblin back into the trunk, “Look, Nott.”

            She pinched the bridge of her nose, glancing over her shoulder into the empty parking lot before looking back to Nott.

            “I get it, you’re nervous but I told all of you to stay put. If I was going to call the police don’t you think I’d done it already?” Quinn put her hands on her hips as the goblin considered her words.

            “I guess so. But we couldn’t be too careful,” Nott responded, “besides you don’t know any of our allergies or eating habits, so I thought I could help.”

            Quinn looked at her, wondering vaguely if this is what it felt like to have children.

            “How exactly would you help me? You’re not exactly a human size or color.” Quinn finally surrendered, taking a step back so Nott could sit forward with her legs dangling out of the trunk.

            The goblin swung her legs, boots bouncing off the bumper, “Well I can change that.” She answered simply.

            Within seconds Quinn watched, eyes widening as the goblin’s form shifted to a young boy around seven or eight with the same chestnut colored hair as Quinn. He was wearing simple brown pants, black shirt, and sandals.

            “See. Now, no one can tell.” She said, the same voice coming out of the boy’s mouth.

            Quinn blinked once, feeling almost lightheaded as she simply turned and got back into her car.

* * *

 

            Fjord, Caleb, Molly, and Jester peered down from the window to where they could just make out the shape of Quinn getting into her red car, followed unknowingly by Nott.

            “Do you really think that Nott can get in that thing without being noticed?” Beau asked as the goblin peered around the corner before scampering behind the car.

            “Ja, she’ll be fine.” Caleb responded, still watching carefully as the goblin seemed to be fiddling with the end of the contraption.

            They watched and all inhaled simultaneously as the back portion of the car popped open with almost a secret compartment. The goblin seemed to panic and she jumped inside, shutting the hatch behind her.

            “You sure about that?” Molly asked, grinning as Quinn exited the driver side and stomped over to trunk, opening it immediately.

            There was a solid thirty seconds before Caleb shrunk back as Nott’s voice echoed in his ears.

            “Abort, abort! Mission failed-AH!” the goblin shrieked and was cut off.

            Caleb and the others watched with bated breath as Quinn lifted Nott out of the trunk. The two exchanged words before the woman’s head shot upwards to look towards the window.

            “We’ve been had! Get down!” Beau shouted, ducking below the windowsill dramatically as the other stepped backward, Caleb going back to sitting on the floor.

            Molly started chuckling to himself as he sat back in one of the dining chairs, “Brilliant plan guys. One of our best, at this rate we’ll be home in no time!”

            Fjord shook his head as he went back to the center of the living room and flopped onto the couch as the room grew silent.

            “This is so far beyond anything we’ve had to deal with before. I mean…what the hell!?” the half-orc sat up, staring at his hands as if he were going to wake up from a nightmare.

            “You just figure that out!?” Beau snapped, earning an alarmed look from Caleb, “We’re more fucked than we’ve ever been!”

            “Hey now!” Molly stepped forward, coming between Fjord and Beau.

            “We just need to relax for a second. Yeah, we’re in a new and, well, a really weird situation but we’re far from fucked,” the tiefling put his hands up and gave a look to both of his friends.

            The two of them glanced away but each eventually nodded in agreement.

            “Now,” Molly lowered his arms and allowed a wicked grin to cross his face, flashing his fangs, “who wants to help me explore this place?”

* * *

 

            Quinn tapped her index finger against the steering wheel as she stared at the bumper of the car in front of her. The traffic was crawling along and she was currently waiting for the red light to turn green.

            “So, these giant metal contraptions are called cars?” Nott asked, her small childish face still off putting to Quinn.

            The woman nodded as the light changed and she immediately laid on the horn to make the person in front of her move forward.

            “Yeah, they were invented some time ago and are the main mode of transportation for most people. Especially in cities like LA, it either too far to walk or too dangerous.” She elaborated as the car crawled forward and Quinn was able to pull into a turn lane.

            Nott watched the woman drive with a strange look, her current form of a young boy gripping onto the seat a little harder.

            “How do they move? Are they powered by magic?” she asked as Quinn turned onto a less occupied street.

            “Well, I guess you could say they’re fire powered. I’m no car buff but they’re basically powered by engines that ignite fuel. I know there are some cars out there that are also battery powered but they aren’t as popular.” She continued, putting on her turn signal and pulling into the small parking lot of the grocery store.

            Quinn slammed on the brakes as a pedestrian walked out in front of her, the middle-aged man not even paying attention as the woman flipped him off behind the windshield. She then pulled into an empty parking space a little faster than she should of, causing Nott to take a small swig from her flask.

            “Do all people here drive like you?” she asked quietly as Quinn took a deep breath and grabbed her purse.

            “No. Usually they’re worse.” She answered before getting out of the car.

            Nott took another swig before getting out as well.

            Quinn marched quickly across the parking lot and grabbed a random cart that had been pushed onto a mulch covered curb. Nott caught up beside her, looking around warily at all the cars and people heading towards the store.

            They entered the store and Quinn glanced down at Nott as the goblin gripped the hem of her shirt, not noticing the action as she seemed more preoccupied with her surroundings. The woman sighed as she headed down the first aisle and stopped, crouching so that she was eye level with the goblin.

            “You okay?” she asked as Nott looked up with wide eyes at the colorful boxes of cereal to their right.

            The form of the young boy shook their head, “It’s just so strange.”

            Quinn nodded, “Well, if you want, you can sit in the cart.”

            Nott looked up to the children’s seat and slowly nodded, allowing Quinn to pick her up place her into the cart.

            “Now, I just have to get some food for the next few days. Anything that you or your friends really like?” Quinn pushed forward, turning down an aisle filled with boxes of pasta and sauces.

            The form of the young boy was still transfixed as they passed shelves of olive oil in a variety of bottle shapes.

            “Booze.” Nott finally responded, drawing a look from an older lady that was further down the aisle.

            Quinn’s eyes went wide and she jokingly ruffled Nott’s hair, hand sinking slightly into the boy’s illusitory hair.

            “Oh, you…that is not appropriate!” she tried to feign a motherly tone as the woman turned back to the shelf of pasta, “ _besides_ , I said things to eat.”

            Nott’s eyes darted to the woman before going back to Quinn, “Oh, sorry.”

            Quinn quickly grabbed a couple boxes of various pasta before carting Nott back the way they had come.

* * *

 

            Caleb sighed as he shut his book, the pages snapping together before he replaced it back into the holster at his hip. He rubbed his face and looked over the living room in which Fjord was the only other occupant.

            Jester and Beau had gone to finish moving into the spare room while Molly had just gone off into the back of the apartment, though he was suspiciously quiet. Fjord had found his armor in the washroom, now spotted with blood and three holes; from the arrows and bullet respectively.

            Caleb stretched his arms, elbows cracking as he decided he was going to try and at least find out how some things worked in this new world.

            He stood and headed towards the kitchen, immediately drawn to the large white box that continuously produced a low hum. The wizard gripped the handle and pulled back, swinging open a door that took up most of the box’s front and revealed the hollow interior.

            “It’s cold.” He muttered, sticking his hand into the box to feel the chilly air seeping out of the machine.

            Caleb glanced at the few food items in the box be he straightened up and turned to the device behind him. It looked like a stove, but he guessed that it far more advanced then the simple ones that he knew from home.

            He opened the front door and saw the metal racks within, though no heat came from it. The wizard turned his eyes to the varied array of switches and dials that were arranged along the back of the stove and slowly began to play with them.

            One large dial with incremental numbers lit the inside of the stove and warm air began to flow out of the open door.

            “Some sort of internal combustion, without fire…” he muttered to himself as he stepped back and watched as the element at the bottom of the stove began to glow.

            “Caleb, are you burning something in there?” Fjord asked from the living room, looking up from the book he was flipping through.

            “No, no. Just inspecting our new home.” Caleb answered as he closed the stove door but didn't turn it off.

            He continued to go through the drawers, picking up strange utensils that he didn’t recognize and pushing buttons on a small device that seemed to be thrown in a drawer along with a bunch of other odds and end. Some of which Caleb recognized and some of which were completely alien.

            The device itself was only the size of his hand and had rows of single numbers mathematics symbols. Caleb began pressing buttons until an infinity symbol appeared and he tossed the device onto the counter.

            “It may be kind of rude to go through someone’s house without them here.” Fjord had gotten up and was now standing across from Caleb on the other side of the counter.

            The wizard shrugged as he shut the drawer, crunching something inside.

            “It’s technically our home now since Molly paid for it.”

            Fjord didn’t seem to buy the excuse but didn’t say anything else as he turned to look down the hallway at the other side of the room.

            “Speaking of which where is Molly?”

* * *

 

            “Would you stop grabbing things!” Quinn hissed as she ripped a box of icecream bars from Nott’s hands for the third time.

            “I don’t even know how you reach them from here!” she hissed, shoving the box haphazardly back into the freezer before pushing the cart down the aisle.

            “But the packaging is just so colorful, and it looks delicious.” The small boy muttered, crossing his arms as they started towards the checkout counter, Quinn finally having finished shopping.

            She had purchased more food than she ever had for her self and at the request of Nott had indeed bought some cheap wine. Besides the alcohol Quinn also had gotten three bags of potatoes, several boxes of pasta, four pounds of ground beef, two family sized packs of chicken wings and two packs of pork chops, two giant bags of frozen broccoli and carrots, four packs of bacon, two dozen eggs, a box of pancake mix and two gallons of milk.

            If this wasn’t enough Quinn knew she was going to be demanding more rent.

            Quinn shook her head as she got in line behind an older gentleman buying an assortment of finger desserts.

            “That’s the point of the packaging; to get your attention. Most of the stuff in here I ignore because it’s so expensive or bad for you.” She glanced over at the candy bars lining the sides of the checkout line before locking onto the position of Nott’s hands.

            The goblin stared at the brightly colored wrappers as if she hadn’t heard Quinn, pupils going wide as rows of Kit Kats, Snickers, Butterfingers, and M&Ms glided by.

* * *

 

            Fjord looked down as he sat back on the couch as Caleb continued to explore the wonders of the kitchen. He glanced up at the large black tablet-like device that sat atop a small table. A slim, rectangular bar sat on the table with it and was covered in a bunch of different buttons.

            Part of him wanted to just sit back and let Quinn get back home so that he could ask her more questions, but the other part wanted to join Caleb (and he assumed Molly) in investigating their surroundings. He slowly picked up the rectangle from the table and pressed a small red button.

            Nothing happened.

            Fjord hummed to himself and pressed another button, this time a small green one that suddenly made the tablet flash and glow with a bright image.

            The half orc stared as humans appeared on the screen, looking directly at him as they talked.

            “The weather today is expected to be sunny and the perfect temp of about eighty degrees. Still average for mid-October and believe me I’m not looking forward to the chillier temps coming up in November. Back to you Carol,” An older man in a suit and tie said, staring out of the tablet as pictures of suns, clouds, and other effects streamed by as the image changed to that of a younger human woman with blonde hair.

            “Caleb come look at this!” Fjord called over his shoulder, entranced as the woman began talking about a car crash and local wildfires.

            The wizard squinted at the screen from across the room as more people began talking and more graphics and pictures flew across the screen.

            “Is it magic?” Fjord asked, looking down at the controller in his hand before pressing another button.

            The screen flashed to a new image, this time of a group of people and a dog, looking as if they were from a children’s book, were running across the screen.

            “I don’t think so,” Caleb muttered, scratching at his stubbly chin, “nothing in this place runs on magic but I can’t begin to explain how some of these things work.”

            The wizard watched as the people and dog ran away from a scary looking creature with a pumpkin for a head.

            “It’s definitely…something.” Fjord commented as he pressed the same button, changing the screen once more.

* * *

 

            Quinn started putting her groceries on the conveyor belt, ignoring the wide eyes of the cashier at the shear amount of food. Every few moment she would glance back over at Nott to make sure the goblin wasn’t trying to take any more candy.

            She sighed and tried to take a deep breath, wishing that she could go home and take a bath.

            “That’ll be ninety-two dollars and seventy-five cents.” The cashier said, “do you want bags for this?”

            Quinn nodded, “Yes please. I realize I forgot mine in the car…” she muttered and took the cash from her wallet, glad she took as much as she did from the envelope.

            She began to help the cashier pile the food into bags, careful not to crush any of the more delicate items. Quinn was so much in her own head that she didn’t realize that the increasingly loud voices were directed towards her.

            “Excuse me is this your child!?”

            Quinn could’ve gotten whiplash from the speed at which her head turned to look back at Nott.

            The disguised goblin was currently standing up in the cart, wrist caught by a middle-aged woman with frizzy blonde hair and long, manicured finger nails.

            “Oh, yes. I’m sorry, was he doing something?” she asked, trying not to throttle the goblin right then and there.

            The woman stuck out her painted lips in a puckered look of disgust, “This little monster was trying to steal my keys!”

            “I just wanted to look at them!” Nott grumbled, her rough voice shocking the woman enough to let her go.

            As the image of the young boy ripped his arm back several large candy bars, some half-eaten fell to the floor, as if emerging from the boy’s stomach.

            Quinn felt her gut drop as she stuffed the last of her groceries into the bags and threw them into her cart. Within seconds her had grabbed Nott around the middle, sending more candy bars to the ground as she whipped around the corner and towards the exit.

            “Ma’am! Excuse me you have to pay for those!” the cashier called out, though didn’t sound very convicted.

            Quinn didn’t look back as she practically sprinted out the door, a man in a brightly colored manager’s vest noticing and trying to follow her out.

            “Ma’am!”

            Quinn booked it to her car and just made it to the trunk of her vehicle as the manager, a man with a big belly and receding hairline, grabbed her shoulder.

            “I’m sorry but I’m going to have to ask that you come back inside and pay for the destroyed produce that your child left inside.” The man growled as Quinn felt her heart jump into her throat.

            “I’m-I’m so sorry, I…I told her-HIM to not touch anything!” Quinn babbled, as she dropped Nott to the ground.

            "Oh my!" The man looked flabbergasted that a mother would drop her child and bent to help Nott up, muttering something about single parents.

            He grabbed the young boy’s arm just as Nott’s disguise fell away.

            “What the hell!” the man lurched backwards as Nott smiled nervously up at him, gnarled teeth and yellow eyes peering out from under her hood.

            Quinn took the opportunity to throw her groceries into the back, one-hundred percent positive that the eggs were now broken as she grabbed Nott, through the goblin into the passenger seat and practically dove into her own seat.

            The man stumbled backwards and watched with a horrified gaze as the car started up, Nott peering out at him from the back window.

            Quinn stepped on the gas as she threw the car into reverse. Within seconds, the small red sedan was roaring through the parking lot and out into the street.

            She sped on until she was nearly three blocks away from the grocery store and stuck at a red light. She felt her heart pounding and chest heaving as she tried to release her death grip on the steering wheel.

            Beside her Nott was gripping the seat in a similar fashion with hair in her face and mask askew, her own breathing elevated as she took a swig from her flask.

            “I guess people here definitely aren’t used to goblins…” Nott finally broke the stifling silence just as the light turned green and Quinn shakily took a left turn.

            She didn’t even bother to answer as she drove up the road and put her turn signal on before pulling in her apartment’s parking lot.

            There were several seconds of silence, only muffled sounds of the city as Quinn gripped her steering wheel and stared at nothing. The goblin watch as Quinn silently turned her car off, went into the back, grabbed all the grocery bags and headed back towards the entrance. Nott followed, allowing some five feet between her and the now stoically stiff and quiet Quinn.

           They took the elevator up instead of the stairs, luckily not running into any other people as the doors dinged open. With long strides Quinn carried the groceries to her front door, unlocked it and nearly kicked open the door.

            “Caleb we’re ba…” Nott trailed off as she looked into the chaos that was the living area and kitchen.

            Quinn stared along with her as she watched Fjord fling the tv remote control across the room to Beau as the Sesame Street theme song blared at full volume throughout the room.

            “How do you turn it off!?” the monk wailed, mashing buttons on the remote.          

            “How am I supposed to know!?” Fjord yelled back, covering his ears as the show continued.

            Quinn turned, almost zombie-like to her left to see her fridge door wide open and her oven turned on. Various kitchen tools were left on the counter and somehow her automatic mixer was half taken apart by a very intense looking Caleb who was poking at the inner workings. Jester was across the room, currently painting at a very messy looking table and Quinn could already see that she had drawn some male genitalia on the surface.

            The woman turned back forward and stepped into the fray, nearly crushing Nott in the door as she kicked it shut. The loud bang of the door shutting made everyone in the room look up with mixed reactions.

            Fjord and Beau both looked slightly horrified while Caleb barely glanced up, too involved with his little experiment.

            No one said a word as Quinn dropped the groceries on the floor by the counter before grabbing the remote out of Beau’s hand. Without a sound she flicked off the tv before strutting towards the hallway, not even glancing behind her as she made her way back towards her bed room.

            Quinn opened the door to her room and stopped, a vein bulging in her neck as she spotted Mollymauk, painting his eyelids with what seemed to be her makeup. Bright blue lipstick was already, expertly, put on his lips while he applied silver, glittery shadow to his eyes.

            He turned at the sound of the door opening, bright white teeth even more dazzling against the blue lipstick.

            “You’ve got wonderful taste in makeup dear. Do you think this matches my tattoos?” the Tiefling grinned but his humor immediately disappeared as Quinn stomped across the room, nearly pushing Molly out of the way as she whipped open her top drawer and removed a small box before storming to her bathroom and slamming the door shut.

            “I’ll take that as a no?” he muttered, turning to head back out into the deathly silent living room.


	6. Diplomatic Discussions (Insert Liam's Lethal Weapon Quote)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quinn decides to lay down more ground rules and actually is able to have a nice discussion with the Nein!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More a low key chapter to prepare for the craziness of the next few that I have planned. Let me know what you think!

            “Sooo is Quinn alright? I don’t think she’s going to come out.” Jester stated as she lay upside down on the couch, bare feet up against the wall as her short navy hair brushed the floor.

            The group all sat in the living room of the apartment having gotten fairly comfortable as the day went by. Most had taken off any armor or cloaks that they had been wearing along with their boots and piled it up in the corner of the room or in the guest room.

            At this point, Caleb and Molly had finished exploring and had gone to sitting quietly. The purple tiefling was still covered in makeup as he played with his tarot cards on the coffee table.

            Caleb was now cuddled with Frumpkin and Nott on the floor, using a piece of string to play with the cat while Beau and Fjord sat across from each other at the larger dining table.

            “She’s been in the bathroom for a few hours now,” Molly commented, placing down the tower card right-side up, “though my guess is she’s pretty uncertain and put out.”

            The group stayed silent once more, Fjord casting a glance towards the still open door to Quinn’s bedroom.

            “Should someone go talk to her?” he asked, rubbing his face.

            More silence.

            “Don’t everyone jump up at once.” He muttered.

            “We’re not the most eloquent group and Nott did try to steal food,” Beau grumbled, picking at something on the table.

            The goblin showed her teeth in a grimace, “I just got the itch…the wrappers were so shiny, and the candy smelled so good.”

            “This is our one chance on making it through this shit-hole of a world though. We can’t afford to lose this place as our temporary home.” Fjord countered, staring out of the windows at the now darkening windows.

            The skies were ablaze with reds, oranges, and vivid purples. It almost reminded him of the sunsets he would see while out on the open sea.

            “You’re the charismatic one, Fjord. Maybe you should talk to her.” Nott grumbled, as Caleb got up and deposited Frumpkin into her lap.

            “I don’t think she’s too fond of me. Ever since…well, I sorta threatened her with my falchion.” He put his face back into his palms, mentally kicking himself.

            “You threatened her? What for?” Jester sat upright on the couch.

            Fjord launched into the story of how he woke up, drawing everyone in except for Caleb in as the wizard crept towards the hallway.

            He walked silently as he had also taken off his boots and peered through the bedroom door, finding it still empty. The sound of running could be heard from the small door to his right and just as Caleb listened the water stopped.

            He walked up to the bathroom door, considering the piece of wood as one might consider a person’s face while they aren’t looking. Slowly he raised a hand and tapped a knuckle against the bathroom door.

            The rustling inside stopped briefly as Caleb allowed silence to follow.

            “Yes?” Quinn’s rough sounding voice came from behind the door.

            “Allo, yes it’s just me. We were outside just wondering if everything was alright?” Caleb answered, glancing down the hall to see that his friends had all turned or leaned from their seats to see where he had gone.

            There was the sound something metallic hitting porcelain and a curse came from Quinn.

            “Hang on a second.”

            Caleb stepped back as the rustling grew louder and he suddenly smelled the acrid tang of smoke.

            The door was suddenly pulled open with a cloud of steamy air as Quinn door in the doorway, dressed in a thick navy-blue robe with her hair dripping water and a recently put out butt of a cigarette clutched in her hand. Her cheeks were rosy from the warm air and her eyes seemed bloodshot.

            “What’s going on?” she asked, sounding irritated.

            “We wanted to make sure you were alright?” Caleb reiterated, looking down at the cigarette.

            “I wondered why I smelled smoke.” He muttered, more to himself than to her.

            Quinn’s already ruddy face darkened, and she tossed the cigarette into the trash can under the sink.

            “I’m…fine,” she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest and looking away from Caleb.

            “Anything else?”

            Caleb stared at her for a moment, brow furrowing,   “Well, I also thought I should thank you.”

            Quinn’s hard face turned back, “Thank me?”

            Caleb nodded, “You took care of Nott while she went out with you. I can only guess what may have happened but from what she recanted you were more than protective of her.”

            The woman’s arms dropped to her sides, “She said that?”

            Caleb nodded once more, allowing a glimpse of a smile.

            “Ja.”

            Quinn took a breath, fished the cigarette out of the trash and grabbed a lighter out of the sink.

            “You mind? It’s for my nerves.” She asked, almost in defeat.

            The wizard shook his head, though he watched with fascination as she deftly lit the butt and took a deep drag on the cigarette.

            “Not allowed to technically smoke up here,” she seemed to explain as she breathed a large cloud of smoke out the skinny window in the bathroom.

            Caleb simply watched as Quinn smoked quietly for a minute before snubbing the now spent cigarette. She tossed it into the sink before turning back to the man standing in the middle of her bedroom. He was glancing around distractedly and Quinn got the impression that he was trying to get her to actually talk.

            “Is she always like that?” she finally broke the silence.

            “Nott? Like what?” the wizard asked, stepping back as Quinn closed the bathroom door and walked into her bedroom.

            “You know, sticky fingers.” Quinn made a pinching motion with her forefinger and thumb, causing Caleb to actually laugh, hair still matted with blood and dirt.

            “The stories that all of us could tell you.” He replied, casting a glance toward the hallway and living room beyond.

            Quinn followed the look and caught the others darting out of sight, unconvincingly trying to hide the fact that they were eavesdropping. The woman gave a slight cough before sighing, looking Caleb straight in the eye as she talked, taking in the dirt and grime.

            “If you could give me ten minutes to get dressed I…I can help take care of the nasty cut on your forehead and you can clean up. Then, I’d really like to talk to the rest of your friends.”

            “Okay, ja. I’ll let them know.” Caleb touched his hairline where the dried blood caked his forehead.

            He cleared his throat before swinging his arms and walking out of the room, closing the door behind him.

            As he exited the hallway his calm demeanor dropped and he let out a huge breath, “Next time you’re doing that seaman.” He pointed a finger at Fjord as everyone else burst into childish giggles.

* * *

 

            Quinn quickly got dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt before she quickly dried her pixie hair with a towel. She slid on a pair of slippers and ran a hand through her bangs, looking herself in the mirror before taking one last deep breath.

            She turned and grabbed the doorknob to the hallway before slowly opening the door. Immediately, there was a flurry of rustling as Quinn walked down the hall and entered the living room.

            Looking up, Quinn almost laughed as she saw that the group was now all seated as if they were students about to be reprimanded by a principal. Three dining chairs had been lined up with Fjord, Molly, and Caleb while Beau, Nott, and Jester sat in front of them.

            “Um, hi.” She looked down at the floor, trying to form the words she was going to say.

            She didn’t get the chance as Fjord stood, from his chair.

            “Before you say anything Quinn, ah, let me apologize first of all for my actions and secondly for the rest of us. We were just as confused as you were getting dropped into this world and, I guess…I _know_ that we aren’t the easiest people to get along with.” The half-orc stated, rubbing the back of his neck.

            “We were kind of being assholes.” Beau piped up, grinning apologetically, “Even after you offered to help.”

            “Yeah, sorry for being an asshole,” Nott chirped, fidgeting slightly in her seat.

            One by one the group gave their version of an apology, even Jester said sorry for popping the inflatable mattress. In the end, as the various members of the group finished, Quinn felt her previous anger falter as she stared at them in her pajamas and fluffy slippers.

            “Well…” she stuttered, voice suddenly rough.

            “Thank you, I guess, for apologizing. I appreciate the sentiment.”

            She cleared her throat and folded her arms in front of her, shifting from foot to foot as words began to tumble from her mouth.

            “I just wanted to talk to you all and maybe make an agreement that might make living together easier. It may create a lot of rules but if you’re willing to listen I’d be willing to listen to you, even if what you’re saying is kind of crazy and I’m not entirely sure if you’re still actually real and…” Quinn blinked as she realized that the words tumbling past her lips were beginning to ramble.

            The group stared at her with wide eyes, the only one seeming to relish the awkwardness was Mollymauk who held his grinning face in his hand, tapping his black nails against his chin.

            “What I mean,” Quinn took a breath, “is I want us to come to an understanding. If you agree to listen to me when it comes to the rules of this world, I’ll try and help you wherever I can to make it easier for you to get home.” She finished.

            Everyone looked to each other before Fjord stepped forward, “I think that sounds like a good deal.”

            He stuck out a hand which Quinn stared at for a few moments. They shook once and the group almost immediately began pelting Quinn questions.

            “What the hell is that tablet thing!?” Beau demanded, pointing to the tv.

            “Does your stove work through fire or electricity?” Caleb asked.

            “How do you use the bathroom if you’re above someone else in the building?” Jester questioned.

            “Does this country have a king?”

            “What is your main source of power?”

            “How many people live in the city?”

            “How big is the city?”

            The questions bounced off Quinn until slowly the words came to a halt as she stared forward, out the window.

            “Are you all done?” she finally stated, trying not to think of the rest of the cigarettes in the top drawer of her dresser.

            The group slowly nodded.

            “Alright,” Quinn cracked her knuckles, “let’s get you all cleaned up and set. _Then_ I can start with some of the more basic questions.”

* * *

            Quinn wiped her hands with a paper towel as she finished putting away the groceries, she had bought earlier that day. Luckily anything frozen was still somewhat cold. The woman then grabbed the medical kit that she kept under her sink and brought it back into the living room as everyone gathered together.

            Fjord and Caleb sat on the couch, awaiting Quinn so that she could dress their injuries, Jester had begun to braid Nott’s hair while Molly and Beau sat on the floor, drinking some of the wine that Quinn had bought out of plastic cups.

            Caleb’s head was still somewhat wet as he had attempted to take a shower, only half succeeding as he didn’t know how to work the controls of the strange automatic flow of water and had accidentally flipped the lever halfway to cold.

            “Alright, now that we’ve got some semblance of calm you can start asking questions,” Quinn said as she placed the medical supplies on the coffee table.

            “IF!”

            She interrupted right as both Jester and Nott’s mouths opened, narrowing her eyes.

            “You can ask them one at a time.”

            A beat of silence before Caleb spoke up, “If you don’t have magic how do you power so many machines?”

            Quinn smiled as she gently wiped any remaining blood from the man’s forehead with prep pad before placing small butterfly closure strips over the split in his skin. The wound was small and seemed already half healed but with the cleaning and picking of mud and hair out of it, blood had begun to bead along its length.

            “Well, most of the power we have in the city is electrical. It’s generated at different points around the country by, I think, dams or burning coal.” She said, placing a third strip before deeming the job finished.

            “It travels through those wires outside,” Quinn pointed to the telephone poles outside streaming electrical wires to and fro.

            “How does your country work? Do you have a ruler?” Fjord asked, allowing a slight pause as Quinn threw the wrappers away and then turned to him.

            Quinn laughed, somewhat facetiously as she brought out a length of gauze from the first aid kit.

            “Technically yes. The country is called the United States of America, called that because we’re on the continent of North America.” She started, taking out a larger bottle of saline solution.

            “We don’t have a king. When this country was created back in the seventeen-hundreds that was one of the rules; not to have an all-powerful king. Instead, we have a president and two um…” Quinn looked up to the ceiling as she considered.

            “Two groups; a senate and congress that help even out decisions made by said president.”

            Fjord’s eyes went wide, “So it's democratic?”

            Everyone looked at Fjord in what seemed to be surprise but Quinn nodded, “Yeah. It’s supposed to give the people in the country more power. Though…it’s definitely not perfect.” She added as an afterthought.

            “Do you get to picks your laws?” Nott asked, looking excited.

            Quinn shook her head, “Not necessarily, we can vote to create new laws and rules but its majority. If more people want something different then that’s what happens. It’s not always good or fair but it’s better than a lot of other countries.”

            The goblin cocked her head but nodded, seeming to understand.

            “Alright, before we do any more questions I need you to take off your shirt,” Quinn said to Fjord.

            “Um, what?” Jester piped up, eyes flying up from the second braid she was doing in Nott’s hair.

            Quinn rolled her eyes, “I need to get to your shoulder.”

            Fjord’s green skin darkened, “Well, um…okay if that’s what’s needed.”

            The woman sighed as Fjord glanced over at his friends, fingers just brushing the hem of his shirt.

            “If you’re uncomfortable you can just pull up the back,” she said as if talking to a young child.

            The half-orc's face immediately looked relieved as he turned so Quinn could sit on the couch to his left and face his shoulder. There was a moment of silence as the woman cut the current bandages wrapped around Fjord’s shoulder, glancing over at the others out of the corner of her eyes.

            _‘It wasn’t weird until they made it that way…’_ Quinn thought as she slid of bandages off and began cleaning the bullet wound that was still fairly fresh.

            “How did you learn to be a doctor?” Jester finally broke the silence as Fjord winced as the woman used saline to clean the injury.

            “I’m not a doctor, here you have to go to school for a long time in order to become a doctor. I’m a nurse, so I do smaller things.” She said, folding a large piece of gauze to put over the wound as she began to rewrap it.

            “You do know what you’re doing right?” Molly smirked, putting his now empty cup on the floor.

            Quinn shot him a scathing glare, “I’m still a certified nurse. Have been for almost seven years.

            The tiefling put up his hands in surrender, “Just a jab. I sure you’re perfectly qualified.”

            Quinn turned back to her work, eyebrows still furrowed.

            “Any other questions?”

            Beau chugged the last of her wine before raising her arm lazily.

            “If you don’t have magic here, what kind of gods do you have?”

            Quinn blinked, tying the gauze tightly before giving Fjord a tap, signaling that she was done.

            “Well, that’s a question that differs from person to person. A lot of people in the US believe in _the_ God. Some believe in a different God named Allah or there are other religions that believe in multiple gods.” Quinn felt that she was slightly out of her element at this question.

            “So, people even create their own gods or decide to not believe in any god at all.”

            Molly leaned forward at this, “So the Platinum dragon doesn’t exist here? What about the Moonweaver?”

            Quinn gave him a look, “I have never heard of those, but I’m also not the best example of a steady worshipper.”

            “Have you heard of the Traveler?!” Jester jumped up, rummaging through her pockets as Quinn looked on in confusion.

            “Oh, here we go,” Caleb muttered as the blue tiefling leaped over to Quinn and held out a crumpled trifold pamphlet.

            “The Traveler is a wonderful deity that brought us to this world! He’s super funny and loves all the pictures that I draw him. He taught me all different types of magic!” She chattered, shoving the paper into Quinn’s hands.

            She looked down at the well-drawn but clearly handmade pamphlet, covered in a sketch of a doorway with a path leading through it. Quinn glanced through it briefly, most of the words inside were just reasons to follow this deity called the Traveler.

            “Well, you seem very devout.” Quinn closed the pamphlet and tried to give a genuine smile as Jester sat back down, wiggling happily.

            Quinn sat back as Fjord pulled his shirt back down, sighing as the fabric brushed the fresh bandage.

            “Okay, I have a question for you all. You keep talking about how we don’t have magic here, what is it like in your world? Like all wands and Hogwarts or is more like Lord of the Rings?” Quinn asked as she sat back, pulling her legs up so she could sit crisscross on the couch.

            “Well…” Caleb started, scratching at the stubble on his chin, “I have no idea what either of those things is but magic in Wildmount is divided up into eight different schools. Abjuration, conjuration, divination, enchantment, evocation, illusion, necromancy, and transmutation. There are other types, but these are the main that most wizards or witches specialize with.”

            Quinn’s eyes went wide, “So there are a lot of people that use magic?”

            “Most of us here use magic of some sort. I think the only one who doesn’t is Beauregard.” Jester said, glancing over at the monk.

            “Yeah, spells and enchantments aren’t really my specialty. I’m a more up close and personal kinda person.” She grumbled, leaning back onto her hands.

            “There’s actually a big school of magic, the Soltryce Academy, that Fjord wants to try and get to.” Jester continued as she sat back on the couch.

            “So, it is like Hogwarts!” Quinn actually smiled, proud that she could imagine what part of the group’s world was like.

            Molly cocked an eyebrow, red eyes narrowing.

            “Hogwarts? Sounds like some sort of disease,” he laughed, tail curling.

            Quinn looked at him once more, “It’s from a book series for crying out loud. That’ll be one of the first things I show you all, jeez.”

            At this, she yawned widely and a few of the others followed suit.

            “It definitely has been quite a day. Perhaps we should get some rest.” Fjord offered, glancing to Quinn.

            The woman slowly nodded, grateful that the day was finally over. She glanced at the stove clock and saw that it was already midnight.

            “Did you guys figure out sleeping arrangements? I can go get another air mattress tomorrow but someone is going to have to make do with sleeping on the bedroom floor til then.

            “I think we figured it out while you were out. If not hope you have room in your bed.” Molly stated, adding a wink at the end.

            Quinn felt her face redden slightly but was too tired to retort to the heavy flirt.

            “If you _actually_ need anything let me know. I’m going to be working tomorrow morning so I’m going to ask that you all stay in the apartment until I get back. And try not to destroy it…” she muttered the last part as she stood up from the couch.

            “There plenty of food that doesn’t need cooking. We can continue questions tomorrow.”

            The group gave varying arrays of nods as Quinn gathered some extra blankets and pillows for everyone.

            “Well…” she said as everyone began to prepare for sleep, standing in the hall’s doorway.

            “I guess goodnight.”

            “Goodnight!” Jester called from the extra bedroom as Quinn walked to her own room and closed the door.

            She collapsed into her bed, face first into her pillow. Almost immediately her eyes closed and felt sleep overcome her.


End file.
